Become part of my semi-rural home and explore California, USA

Details

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  Description

  Greetings Workawayers,
  
  My name is Becky and my husband is Dana. We I live in semi rural, CA, USA with our horse Misty, goat Naddy (often pronounced Naughty), six chickens, Cat Rocky, and a turtle. (They are all spoiled pets.) We live on an acre of land that I am attempting to transform into a beautiful, sustainable habitat where wildlife, domestic animals and people can co-exist.
  
  This Workaway would be ideal for a couple, a single person or a parent/child. You'll stay in a private bedroom with a private bathroom next door.
  
  Please note that we prefer to host Workawayers for around one or two weeks, and we're not likely to accept last minute offers of help. My place is best for someone traveling around California or the US, but not for someone who needs a place to stay for a longer time. Thanks for understanding.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Technology

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Self development

  

  Charity work

  

  Astronomy

  

  Animals

  

  Fitness

  

  Writing

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  Gardening

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Books

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Dancing

  

  Beach

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Learn what life is like in California outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco. We're located 3 miles away from Solvang, the "Danish Capital of the U.S." I have no idea how authentic it is, since I've never visited Denmark. But the town was founded by Danish immigrants in 1920, so it might have some authentic looking buildings.
  
  There are many hiking trails nearby, from easy to hard, 1.5 miles to 15+. Plus relatively quiet country roads perfect for bicycling. We can probably loan you bicycles, depending on the size you need. just let us know if you'd like to borrow. If our bike don't fit you, there is a shop nearby that rents them.
  
  Wine tasting is very popular in our area, with ample opportunity to learn about wine production and the unique wines of this region. We could take you wine tasting, or give you a list of wineries to explore on your own.
  
  Do you enjoy dancing or do you want to learn? We dance many styles of couples dancing: ballroom, country, swing, Latin. You are welcome to join us and our dancing friends when we go out dancing.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  My one acre property is too big for me to manage. I need help. I always have projects I'm working on that would benefit from an extra set of hands.
  
  Parts of my yard are being restored into habitat for native wildlife, so I need help planting indigenous plants, removing non-native plants, transplanting others. I need help pruning trees, cutting branches into firewood or chipping them into mulch, pulling weeds, and spreading mulch to prevent the weeds' return.
  
  Other parts of the yard are destined for food production, so I need help maintainiong simple raised garden beds, turning compost, irrigating, more weed pulling.
  
  Then there are the animals: horses, chickens and goat who all need daily feeding, cleaning and exercise. (If you don't have experience with animals, I won't ask you to work with them, but if you want to learn, I can teach.)
  
  I always have building and/or repair projects that require more muscle than skill: Digging, hauling gravel from one place to another in a wheelbarrow, pounding the occasional nail. If it happens to be raining during your stay, we will work on indoor projects like cleaning house, or painting rooms. Most of the time, I will be working alongside you or in another part of the yard. I enjoy the work, so 'm not looking for someone to do this work for me, I want someone to do the work with me.
  
  That said, I'm a bit of an introvert, so when we are not working together I will probably need some time to myself.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I'm learning Spanish, and a previous Workawayer was helping me learn some Portuguese. I'm open to hosting people who are English beginners of any language.
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  Accommodation

  You would be staying in a private bedroom in our home with a queen-sized bed and a bathroom next to the bedroom. We use this room and bathroom to accommodate our BnB guests, but NOT during your stay. You are welcome to relax anywhere on the ground floor of the house, or in the garden. We have a shaded arbor for relaxing and a hot tub for soothing sore muscles.
  
  There will be clean sheets on the bed, towels and soap. You are welcome to use the washing machine and dryer to wash your clothes. The room has an electric heater and a fan, and we recently installed an energy efficient heat pump. We have Wifi but no television and no house phone.
  
  Before you arrive, we should discuss food and meals. Because of my my and my husband's work schedules, you will be eating breakfast and lunch on your own. You are welcome to eat whatever we have in the pantry (mostly, meat, vegetables, fruit, cheese, nuts, and seeds), but since I do not eat bread or beans, you may have to bring or purchase some of your own food. We can also discuss whether you would like to eat dinner with my husband and myself or on your own. If you eat meat, I'm happy to cook and share our evening meal. If you do not eat meat, you may have to prepare something separately for yourself, or something we can all share.
  
  Do you like to cook? If so, we might enjoy a sample of your favorite dish!

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  What else ...

  Dana and I are non-smokers and non-drug users, although we do enjoy wine in the evening or with dinner.
  
  Since we do have two cats, anyone with cat allergies would be miserable here. Depending on the season there may also be pollen from oak trees, hay and grass pollen that would bother someone with other allergies.
  
  If you travel by train (), you will be able to come all the way to Solvang, which is a small town only 3 miles (5 kilometers) from our home. The train will take you to San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara, then you can transfer to the Amtrak bus to continue to Solvang.
  
  If you travel by bus or airplane, we are able to pick you up from Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or San Luis Obispo, (but not Los Angeles, it's too far away). There is no direct bus to my area unless you add the Amtrak bus to an Amtrak train ticket.
  
  Dana works during the day, I work from home or anywhere I have Internet. When I'm not working with you on our Workaway projects, I will be on my computer or out of the house, so you will be on your own during your time off. I can loan you a bike, and there is limited bus service in the local area. If I'm going to Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo during the day, you'd be welcome to come along. I could drop you in town or at the beach and pick you up on my way home.
  
  The Valley is beautiful and semi-rural, with a booming wine industry. There are nearby shops, but you would need a car or bicycle to explore the entire area (I can lend you bicycles, but not a car). If you do have a car, we are a 2.5 hour drive north of Los Angeles, and a 30 minute drive north of Santa Barbara.
  
  People who visit this area enjoy the outdoors, hiking, bicycling, bird watching, visiting the beach, horseback riding, wine tasting, or visiting the shops in nearby Solvang, a small Danish town.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We have a good Wi-Fi connection and a desk in the living room someone could use if they needed a desk. The dining table is also available. Chairs are just regular chairs, however, we don't have standard "office" chairs.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Mystafyre (Mysty)

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